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Monday, December 19, 2011

Consumed & Soli Deo Gloria Party

Welcome to Soli Deo Gloria. This is a place to share what is on your mind. It is a place where vulnerability is accepted, where heart cries are honored, where struggles are heard. It is a place where we are unconcerned with the quality of your words, but about the state of your heart. We are a community of women that seek to encourage, support, love each other with our words. There is laughter. There are tears. There is everything in between. No matter where you are, who you are, where you have been, I want you to know that you are in the fold and that as you leave your link, you are prayed for. Desire more information? Please clickhere for the full scoop.

It's early Monday morning and the only reason that I'm up is because I told my dad I'd get up early to check him in for his flight so he's assured a good seat on the plane on his way back to Florida. But, I'm also grateful to be sitting in front of the computer here because it's so quiet. For the next two weeks with the kids out of school and lots of things to do, quiet will be a rarity. Sure, I could be sleeping but being aware of the stillness just might be even better.

At church yesterday, I heard this line in the sermon (paraphrased):"Perhaps we could all stand to be more like Mary who was consumed by the Holy Spirit. Instead of being consumed, we have become consumers during this Advent/Christmas season."Since yesterday this thought has continually rolled through my mind: Am I consumed or am I a consumer?

Clearly, I can be consumed by things by other than the Holy Spirit, but if I remember this question in the context of the sermon, it is a good way for me to gauge my heart in the heat of the moment -- when the stress surmounts, when I am frantic to make things perfect, when I go back and forth in my mind about whether or not I have bought enough, done enough, am enough.

I ask: In this moment, am I consumed with the Holy Spirit or am I consumer of the ideals and expectations of this world?

If the answer is the latter, I am grateful for the grace of God, who is sends His Holy Spirit to fill me when I ask. I only have to ask. That is all.

SDG Community Builder: What if we passed a prayer around? What if we all prayed for each other that we would be consumed by the Holy Spirit? When you go to visit, after you leave a comment, would you also leave this prayer (or even this prayer alone without a personal comment would be a blessing!). You can copy and paste this one, if you wish...

Father God, You know the trappings this time of year. You know how easy it is to fall into the ways of the world. I pray that You would send Your Holy Spirit upon your servant so that they may be enraptured and consumed by You, this day and every day. May she feel and know Your presence in her life. May she be swept up in a dance with You. Amen.

Jen, what a thought-provoking question. Am I consumed or am I a consumer? Wow! For you my dear friend, I do pray that you will be consumed by the Holy Spirit. May you be so developed by His presence that there is room for little else.

First...you picture is just breath taking...so gifted my friend...and I say amen...yes to be consumed by His Spirit...not the spirit of this world...I too pondered Mary today...Have a very Spirit filled season with Him...with family...

What a perfect question for not only this time of year but all year! It's so easy to be consumed by all the demands of this of motherhood and being a wife and missing out on that quiet peace from His Spirit.

Excellent post, Jen! May we all be consumed by His all-consuming, refining fire, and not conformed to the consumer mentality of this world.

Thanks for posting my "Praise Him with Dance" commissioned piece! It's larger than the thumbnail I've seen so far, and looks beautiful! The real thing hasn't arrived yet, but hopefully today or tomorrow. Thank you for expressing the spirit of our ministry so beautifully.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!Laurie Collett, Saved by Gracehttp://savedbygracebiblestudy.blogspot.com/

I am most definitely not consumed by the Holy Spirit -- I can hardly fathom what that would look like or how that would feel, so I guess I am in pretty bad shape.

So yes, I am emphatically praying to be consumed not by busyness, or worry or stress or things that are far beyond my control, but by the Holy Spirit alone. And I pray that for you, too, Jen, and for all the beautiful people who have commented before me.

Father God, You know the trappings this time of year. You know how easy it is to fall into the ways of the world. I pray that You would send Your Holy Spirit upon your servant so that they may be enraptured and consumed by You, this day and every day. May she feel and know Your presence in her life. May she be swept up in a dance with You. Amen.

And Jen? In the busy, may you find all the peace of Him. His beauty abounds.